Two and a half years ago, I was an awkward little freshman (see below) just trying to navigate her way through this crazy, amazing school and city. I only wish someone had told me these things before I started.
Your friends from freshman year won’t necessarily be your friends for the next three years, and that’s totally okay.
The girl/boy ratio – it’s 60/40. Enough said.
It’s not high school anymore. You can be whoever you want.
Your GPA doesn’t define you. It’s just a number.
Go on the riverboat cruise. Go to all those “silly” floor bonding events. Go to everything.
Sharp and Monroe are gross, but it’s part of the experience.
If you’re feeling sad, there’s a 95% chance you need to get out of your room.
Boot pizza tastes better at 2 AM.
If you want to go abroad, start researching ASAP. There’s a lot of hurdles and only a few programs that are offered.
Don’t bring a TV freshman year. You’ll never watch shows when they’re actually on, and you can find almost any show on Hulu and Netflix.
Get involved! Involvement = getting to know people = free pizza (clearly I really like pizza).
Go to the gym, but not between the hours of 6-8 PM.
The Homecoming game will be the only football game you go to.
It’s a streetcar, not a trolley. And it’s very slow. Get a cab (or better yet, use someone’s car) when you actually need to be somewhere at a certain time.
Don’t walk by yourself at night; be aware of your surroundings.
You will switch your major, and that’s a good thing.
The library’s not as scary as you think it is. Put on your headphones and listen to some great music, sit down, and focus. You can do this; studying in your dorm never works the way you want it to.
The food in the city: amazing. The food at school: not so much. Use your Wavebucks to go to places like Hillel and La Divina (at Loyola) so that you can still have great food with your meal plan.
Many off-campus houses are passed down through older friends. Try to meet as many upperclassmen as possible.
That said, many teachers don’t change their tests from year-to-year…
Bourbon Street is for tourists.
Don’t pee in the streets during Mardi Gras (you’ll hear this again – don’t do it!)
No, we are not a “southern” school. However, Greek life is pretty big. The administration has a way of making it seem smaller than it is.
The math department sucks. Sorry, no way to sugarcoat it.
Take the class that’s harder but with a better professor than the one that’s “easy” but with a not-so-good professor.
Always carry an umbrella. Deodorant isn’t such a bad idea, either.
Use the “pajamas in class” outfit sparingly.
Enjoy every second.